Focus on Eyes: Diabetes can lead to eye problems

From floridatoday.com

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which people develop high levels of blood sugar or glucose either because the body does not produce adequate amounts of insulin (hormone that regulates glucose processing) or it does not respond adequately to insulin.
It is estimated that around 9 percent of the population in the United States has diabetes, and that number continues to increase.
Furthermore, being overweight increases the risk of developing diabetes. In general, there are three types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2 and gestational.
In Type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin while in Type 2, the body produces an inadequate amount of insulin for proper functioning. Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. Most diabetic patients have Type 2 diabetes.
Patients who have diabetes experience an increase in appetite and thirst and also present with frequent urination. In addition, diabetes can affect the eyes.
Accordingly, patients can develop diabetic retinopathy, which damages the vessels that provide blood to the retina. As a result, diabetes can cause blurry vision and distortion of images, and the longer a person has had diabetes, the higher the risk of developing eye problems due to diabetes.

Patients with poorly controlled diabetes can develop bleeding or swelling in the retina (inner most layer in the eye), which can lead to a decline in vision.

In some instances, the vessels can also close off and this cuts down the oxygen supply to the retina leading to decreased vision.
In some cases, new vessels can grow in the optic nerve (nerve that connects the eye to the brain), retina or vitreous humor (gel inside the eye).
These new vessels are very fragile and if ruptured, can lead to bleeding in the vitreous humor.
Diabetic macular edema or swelling in the retina can be treated with injections to the eye with Avastin, Eylea or Lucentis. These are injected monthly until the swelling disappears.
Treatment can also involve laser to a focal area of the macula (portion of the retina that is involved in capturing our fine central vision) if swelling is pre-set or to the entire peripheral retina if there is neovascularization.
In cases in which the bleeding in the vitreous humor does not resolve after a few months, the ophthalmologist may need to perform surgery to remove the gel and the blood inside the eye, so that the patient can regain some vision back. Of course, it is very important that patients work toward an optimal level of blood glucose.
Diabetes can also worsen or accelerate the progression of cataracts.
In some instances, the cataract can block the view of the eye doctor making treatment of diabetic eye disease more difficult. In those cases, it is advisable to remove the cataract with the purpose of allowing a better view for the doctor to monitor and treat the diabetic-eye-disease.
If the macula is unaffected by diabetes, patients will likely see an improvement in vision after cataract surgery.

The eyes are a clear window into the inside of our bodies. Thus, one can see in the eyes if diabetes has started to affect the rest of the body or not.
Fluctuations in blood sugar levels can affect the way we see by making vision blurry at times when sugar levels are not normal, while returning to normal vision once the blood glucose levels stabilize.
Diabetes can affect your entire body, so make sure that you follow up closely with your primary care physician, and be aware that diabetics need to have a dilated eye exam at least once a year in order to prevent serious complications resulting from uncontrolled diabetes.

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/life/wellness/2017/06/27/focus-eyes-diabetes-can-lead-eye-problems/103198298/